Hand-truck.



E. H. MEAD.

HAND.TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-22,1914.

1,135,603. P en ed Apr. 13, 1915.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELLIS H. MEAD, OF WE$TERN SPRINGS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MIEHLE PRINTINGPRESS & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFHAND-TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

Application flied January 22, 1914. Serial No. 813,642.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLIs H. MEAD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Western S rings, in the county of Cook and State of 11inois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Trucks,of which the following is a specification.

invention relates to devices for receiving and transporting articles,and has particular reference to a novel truck which shall be normallyimmobile.

In the receiving and transporting of many articles it is desirable toprovide a truck which shall be rigid or immobile when in receivingposition, but which may be readily moved from place to place asrequired. I am aware that this has been accomplished to a certain extentby providing a platform having rigid-supports, then placing beneath saidplatform a wheeled-truck, raising the platform and its load, and transorting the same by means of the truck. This construction has manydisadvantages, not the least in importance being that of first cost. Afurther disadvantage is in the amount of space required for a device ofthat sort.

My invention contemplates a truck which shall be provided with aplatform, said platform havin a wheeled-support at one point and a rigi-support at another point, the point of the truck which is rigidlysupported being adapted to be raised by a wheeled lifting lever, thustransforming the rigid,

' immobile table to a wheeled truck.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a truck constructedin accordance with my invention, the wheeled lifting lever being shownas about to be applied to the truck; Fig. 2 is a similar view showingthe lifting lever in place after having raised the one end of the truckto disconnect its rigid support from the floor; Fig. 3,isa frontelevation with the lifting element in place, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentarybottom plan view showing the form of connection for the lifting lever tothe platform.

' Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that Iprovide a table or frame 10 to the lower portion of which are securedcross members 11, 12. To the cross member 11 is secured an axle or shaft13, on

the ends of which are mounted wheels 14. (In the forward cross member isprovided an elongated U-bar 15, the downwardly proecting legs 16, ofwhich act as supports for that end of the truck in normal position. Theends of the legs 16 may be turned at right angles as at 16 if desired,in order to provlde a broad support. By this construction a r1 1d,immobile, receiving table is provided. owever, assuming that the tableand any superposed load is to be transported, I provide a lifting leverconsisting of a handle 17, mounted at its lower end in a socket andclamp 18, 19, carried by a castmg 20. This casting provides a bearingfor a short shaft 21, on which a pair of wheels 22, are mounted. Alsoconnected to said castlng is an annular bearing 23, from the uppersurface of which a conical stud 24 is projected. The axis of the conicalstud is located at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of thehandle. On the under surface of the bar 15, as shown in Fig. 4, Iprovide a plurality of conical recesses 25, within any one of which thestud 24 is adapted to be seated. By providing a plurality of spacedrecesses the stud on the llfting lever may be positioned in theonelocated whereby to balance the load to best advantage.

In order to assist in positioning the stud in one of the recesses 25, Iprovide on the casting 20, a web extending parallel with the handle 17,this web carrying a hook adapted to cooperate with the bar 15, andprevent the stud 24 from being pushed so far beneath the truck that itwill not engage with a recess 25. This will be found a great conveniencein positioning the lifting lever.

Assuming the platform 10 is to be transported, the wheeled lifting leveris located as shown in Fig. 1, and the handle moved in an are around theaxle 21. That end of the platform is then lifted and supported by thewheels 22, whereupon the truck may be moved as desired, and when locatedand the lifting lever removed, becomes again an immobile stand or table.

I claim:

1. In a truck, the combination of a platform, non-rotatable supports atits front end, a separate wheeled lifting lever to cooperate with saidplatform and adapted to lift the same at its front end, and means topermit of the lifting lever being engaged with the front of the platformat any one of a lurality of positions thereon. 2. n a truck, thecombination of a platform, non-rotatable supports for the front endthereof, and-a separate wheeled lifting lever to cooperate with saidplatform and adapted to lift the same, and means to permit of thelifting lever being engaged with the platform at any one'of a pluralitof positions including recesses disposed in a row transversely on thebottom of said platform.

3. In a truck, the combination of a platform, non-rotatable supportscomprising a bar secured to the bottom of said platform and terminatingin downwardly projecting legs, said bar being provided with a plural'casting having a truck engaging element, a.

lip on said casting extending over said engaging member to guide thesame when applying the lifting lever to a truck and a handle for thecasting.

6. Ina wheeled lifting lever for trucks, a casting, an axle and wheelscarried at the rear of said casting, a truck engaging element locatedabove and in substantially vertical alinement with said axle in theoperative position of the device, a handle secured to the front of saidcasting, and a'lip extending over said engaging member to. guide thesame into engagement with a truck.

7. In a truck, the combination of a platform having non-rotatablesupports at its front end comprising-a bar secured to the 7 bottom ofsaidplatform and provided with a plurality of holes, said platform beingprovided with a recess bridging the holes in said bar, and a separatewheeled lifting lever provided'with a member for engaging any one of theholes in said bar and adapted to lift the truck.

8. In a truck, the combination of a platform, non-rotatable supports,for one end of the platform comprising a bar secured to the bottom ofsaid truck and provided with a plurality of holes, saidplatform having arecess bridging .ae holes in said bar, and a separate wheeled liftinglever having a memberfor engaging with any one of the holes in the barand adapted -to lift the platform, a lip extending over said bar andextending into the recess to guide said lifting lever when applying itto the platform.

ELLIS H. MEAD Witnesses B. D. STEVENS, M. A. PERKINS.

